Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher speaks with reporters at the team's practice facility on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. The Titans' playoff hopes that came with a 5-2 start in the season disappeared with injuries to quarterback Vince Young and eight losses in their final nine games.

Photo: Mark Humphrey, AP

Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher speaks with reporters at...

Image 2 of 4

Alex Smith completes a pass to Michael Crabtree in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals in the last game of the regular season at Candlestick Park on Sunday.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Alex Smith completes a pass to Michael Crabtree in the fourth...

Image 3 of 4

Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson responds to a question during the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011.

Photo: Darron Cummings, AP

Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson responds to a question...

Image 4 of 4

ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: MVP Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates with the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLV against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Coaches and general managers all put on a brave front at the recent NFL combine, saying all teams would be in the same boat if a lockout wiped out offseason workouts and delayed free agency. The truth is, with some teams hiring new coaches and changing their offenses or defenses, the boats idling on the dock look nothing alike.

As expected, the owners and players failed to reach an agreement on a new labor deal by Friday's extended deadline. By the end of the night, there was a lockout and an official work stoppage.

Which teams will be hurt most by the period of uncertainty? Which will be hurt least? We rank them, from worst off to best off.

1. Titans: Tennessee chose coach Jeff Fisher over quarterback Vince Young, then watched Fisher leave after 16 seasons anyway. Now the Titans have a new coach in Mike Munchak, two new coordinators and a quarterback named Rusty Smith.

2. Broncos: The main reason Denver named Kyle Orton its starting quarterback over Tim Tebow is because it was trying to trade Orton. For now, he can't be traded. John Elway is running the show now, and he has a new coach in John Fox and new coordinators.

3. Browns: Cleveland's biggest problem is that it doesn't have the personnel for coordinator Dick Jauron's new 3-4 defense. Second biggest problem is that quarterback Colt McCoy and new coach (and offensive coordinator) Pat Shurmur haven't done anything more than shake hands.

4. Panthers: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck decided to stay in school. But new coach Ron Rivera can take a year to evaluate his defense, watch Jimmy Clausen throw every kind of interception possible and then draft Luck next year.

5. 49ers:The only reason Jim Harbaugh has been talking up Alex Smith is that the labor uncertainty could leave Smith as his only real option. The new coaching staff's hands are tied with a roster that's a mess.

6. Cardinals: We're not even going to talk about quarterbacks John Skelton and Max Hall. The bigger problem here is the defense. It was surprisingly bad last year, and new coordinator Ray Horton has to wait before he can install some Steelers-style blitzes.

7. Seahawks: At least the NFC West will be competitive. Pete Carroll deserves credit for last year's playoff win, but this is still an unsettled team that needs more time on the practice field, not less. If Matt Hasselbeck comes back, he'll have a new coordinator (Darrell Bevell) and offense.

8. Bengals: The main reason they brought back flailing coach Marvin Lewis was because of the labor issue. But continuity doesn't mean much when the quarterback (Carson Palmer) is threatening to retire rather than wear stripes again, and now you can't trade him during the draft.

9. Redskins: Yes, they're a mess, but at least coach Mike Shanahan is right that Rex Grossman is a better quarterback than Donovan McNabb right now. Still, there are still a lot of holes on the roster that can't be filled by throwing Dan Snyder's money at them.

10. Eagles: Players are scratching their heads at the hiring of defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, their offensive line coach last year who hasn't coached defense in 22 years. Think Castillo could use this offseason? Michael Vick had better keep putting up the points.

11. Vikings: They have a lot of potential free agents, a new offensive coordinator in Bill Musgrave, and right now their quarterback is Joe Webb (though they have a huge crush on Jake Locker). Still, Leslie Frazier did well as the interim coach last year, and there is a lot of defensive talent.

12. Dolphins: They'll have their old coach, because like owner Stephen Ross says, they never really wanted Harbaugh. Coach Tony Sparano actually did a decent job with this bunch last year, and quarterback Chad Henne is not good, but he's not terrible. "Continuity, baby" wouldn't be a bad ticket-sales slogan for Miami.

13. Texans: Another team that decided it was foolish to spend money and hire a new coach if there was a chance of a lockout. Gary Kubiak is back, but Wade Phillips was brought in to run the defense. Switching to a 3-4 defense is especially hard when players aren't allowed to talk to Phillips or hit the field.

14. Rams: New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels brings his 10-binder playbook from Denver, and while that's daunting, St. Louis has a future star in quarterback Sam Bradford. And coach Steve Spagnuolo knows what he's doing on defense, so the Rams are a clear NFC West favorite.

15. Bills: Buffalo usually yawns at free agency anyway, and while the Bills aren't very good, their coaching staff returns intact. They are looking at taking a raw quarterback (Cam Newton?) with the No. 3 pick, and Ryan Fitzpatrick would probably be behind center next season, lockout or no lockout.

16. Cowboys: Like Minnesota with Frazier, Dallas hired an interim coach (Jason Garrett) during last season and he did pretty well. Quarterback Tony Romo is back from a collarbone injury, and new coordinator Rob Ryan won't change the defensive scheme. If they address the offensive line in the draft, they're in pretty good shape.

17. Lions:Matthew Stafford has a hard time staying healthy, so maybe locking the quarterback out is a good idea for Detroit. Drafting defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh last year was a direction-changing pick for the franchise.

18. Jets: Rex Ryan's guarantee of making the Super Bowl should have come with a lockout asterisk. New York has a lot of potential free agents, and they are always one of the more active teams on the trade front. Still, Tom Brady will attest that the Jets are likely to be one of the toughest teams in the league whenever there's football again.

19. Jaguars: Who knows how good a coach Jack Del Rio still is or if quarterback David Garrard is just a tease, but they are Jacksonville's key figures again. No lockout or offseason workout program is going to change that.

20. Chargers: Ron Rivera was a big part of San Diego's success in recent years, and losing the defensive coordinator to Carolina is a big deal. Luckily, the Chargers treat the first two months of the regular season like the preseason, so a lockout won't hurt too much.

21. Chiefs: Coach Todd Haley is not saying he is going to replace departed coordinator Charlie Weis as the play-caller, but he's not saying he isn't either. This is a good, young team that doesn't need offseason workouts to pick up where it left off.

22. Buccaneers: One of the biggest surprises of 2010, Tampa Bay has a good young coach in Raheem Morris and one of the best young quarterbacks in Josh Freeman. The Bucs made sure to re-sign veteran cornerback Ronde Barber before the old CBA ran out.

24. Ravens: You know you're in good shape when your biggest offseason issue is quarterback Joe Flacco having a mini hissy-fit over QB coach Jim Zorn leaving. This team has one more push at a Super Bowl left before the walkers are handed out to defensive stars Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

25. Giants:The Giants bring back almost all of their coaches and players, and while they don't want unretired Tiki Barber back, they are weighing the pros and cons of bringing back soon-to-be ex-con Plaxico Burress.

26. Bears: Question Jay Cutler's toughness all you want, just don't question how well stocked Lovie Smith's team is for a return to the NFC Championship Game. Cutler should be even better as he and coordinator Mike Martz get more comfortable with each other.

27. Colts: Here's another ticket-sales slogan idea: "Same ol' Colts." Indianapolis hasn't been a big player in free agency, and Peyton Manning probably has teammates coming to his backyard for workouts, so that part of it is no big deal. Still, maybe the Colts need a jolt before they slip out of the elite class of teams.

28. Patriots: Bill Belichick and his front-office people have shown they can adjust with the best of them, and New England's roster is young and set up well for the future. Plus, it's a quarterback's league, and the Patriots have Brady, the best in the business.

29. Saints: They won a Super Bowl 13 months ago behind quarterback Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton, and while they do have some free agent questions that will have to wait for an answer, they are one of the top five teams.

30. Falcons: Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff has been named Executive of the Year two of the past three years. Think he doesn't have contingency plans? Plus he has coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan, who have quickly become game-changers.

31. Steelers: Anything beats last offseason, when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger almost got himself traded out of town with his transgressions.

32. Packers: Green Bay not only gets most of its Super Bowl winning team back, but also such key injured players as Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley and Nick Barnett.

Contract talks break down, players sue the league and are locked out. B2